This invention relates to a device for transporting articles, and more particularly to a device for transporting articles over frozen surfaces such as ice or snow.
In the sport of ice fishing, it is necessary to transport various pieces of equipment and paraphernalia to and from the ice fishing site. Such equipment may include an ice auger, a portable heater, a fishing rod and tackle, and bait. In addition, many ice fishermen carry an insulated container or the like for a warm beverage. Transporting these items to and from the ice fishing site can be a difficult undertaking.
It has been known to use a one-piece molded plastic shell-like sled having a flat bottom, to assist the ice fisherman in transporting equipment. Use of such a sled aids in transportation, but can result in arrival at the site with the various items in an unorganized state due to jarring and bouncing during the trip. This is especially so if the frozen surface over which the equipment is being transported, such as a frozen lake or river, presents an uneven surface. In such a case, there is also a danger that the equipment will spill out of the sled when passing over the uneven surface.
It is also known to store the ice fishing equipment in buckets or other containers during transportation to the site. This keeps the equipment somewhat organized, but does not eliminate the problems encountered when the sled passes over an obstruction or uneven surface. In such a case, the buckets may be upset and their contents spilled.
The present invention is designed to solve the noted problems, serving as a means for providing secure transportation of ice fishing equipment to and from the site. In accordance with the invention, an ice fishing transport for transporting equipment contained within one or more containers to and from an ice fishing site is provided with a substantially flat bottom surface for supporting the containers during transportation. The bottom surface is adapted to glide smoothly over frozen surfaces, such as ice and snow. The transport is further provided with a top surface spaced from and connected to the bottom surface. The top surface includes retainer means adapted to receive the containers, for maintaining the containers in position on the bottom surface during transportation. In one embodiment, the retainer means comprises openings formed in the top surface. The size of the openings corresponds closely to the size of the containers, so that the containers are held snugly within the openings to prevent more than a small amount of movement of the containers during transportation. The transport may be provided with a compartment disposed in one end thereof for storage of supplies, such as bait, during transportation. Provision of such a compartment allows the ice fisherman to further organize equipment and supplies for providing an organized arrival at the site.
The invention thus provides a top surface spaced from and connected to a bottom surface, on which the containers rest. The top surface provides stability to the containers as they rest on the bottom surface. This stabilization of the containers during transportation reduces the chances that the ice fishing equipment will spill out during passage of the transport over an uneven surface.